1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to turbine engine shrouds or the like and refers more specifically to a mechanical locking structure for and method of securing an abradable matrix material in a honeycomb structure on a turbine engine shroud or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, bonding of an abradable matrix material to honeycomb structure on turbine engine shrouds or the like has been accomplished during sintering of the matrix material. The mechanical bond provided between the matrix material and honeycomb structure has in the past been determined by the physical number of contacts between the honeycomb structure and one component of the sintered matrix material. Approximately 65 bonds per inch between nickel coated aluminum abrasive power in the sintered matrix material and steel honeycomb structure has been considered adequate to prevent the sintered matrix material from working loose from the honeycomb structure cells in which it is deposited on the shroud.
Thus, in the construction of such shrouds or shroud sections, since the shrouds are normally constructed in sections, the sintering of the abrasive material has been necessarily carefully controlled, and samples taken thereof which have been polished and the bonds between the honeycomb structure and the sintered abradable powder laboriously counted as a test of the quality of the shrouds produced. Such testing requires special equipment and is time consuming and expensive. Further, the adequacy of the bonding of the matrix material to the honeycomb structure is not well established by such tests.